Winter Injury Prevention in Columbus: Ice Falls, Snow Shoveling, and Cold-Weather Joint Pain

By Nikhil Verma, MD, board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Interventional Spine, fellowship-trained in Interventional Spine and Sports Medicine, Essential Sports & Spine Solutions, Columbus, OH

Every year, the first real cold snap hits Columbus and the calls into our office start to sound different. Slipped on the driveway. Tweaked my back shoveling. My knee has been stiff since the temperature dropped.

Here’s the short answer to how to prevent most winter injuries: build a daily stretching and mobility routine, take falls on ice seriously, treat snow shoveling like a workout, and keep moving through the cold months instead of shutting down. Most winter musculoskeletal injuries are preventable. Some of them, especially falls in older adults, are far more serious than people give them credit for.

As an interventional spine and sports medicine physician in Central Ohio, I see these injuries every winter. Here’s what I tell my own patients, plus one practical note about timing your care that most people don’t think about until it’s too late.

Why do injuries increase in cold weather?

Cold muscles and tendons are stiffer and less forgiving. Add ice on the ground, heavy snow, shorter days, and less overall activity, and you get a predictable pattern.

The same movement you did without thinking in July has less margin for error in January. Your body isn’t broken in the winter. It just needs more preparation before you ask something of it.

Is stretching the same as mobility?

No. They’re related, but they’re not the same thing, and the difference matters more in the cold.

Stretching lengthens a muscle. It’s mostly passive: you get into a position and hold it.

Mobility is your ability to actively control a joint through its full range of motion. It’s active: your muscles are working to move the joint where you want it to go.

You can be flexible without being mobile. Plenty of people can get into a deep stretch but can’t control that range when they actually need it, like when a foot slides out on ice or they twist under a shovel full of wet snow.

You need both. A daily routine of five to ten minutes is enough for most people. Every day, not just on gym days. Some hip and thoracic spine mobility, controlled shoulder circles, ankle work, then a few stretches for whatever feels tight. The minimal effective dose, done consistently, beats the perfect routine you do twice a month.

Why are falls on ice so dangerous?

Because a fall on ice isn’t always just a fall.

When you slip, you instinctively reach out or land on your side. That’s how we see wrist fractures, shoulder injuries, and the two I take most seriously: hip fractures and spinal compression fractures.

If you’re older or have low bone density, a fall that a 30-year-old walks away from can mean a fracture. Hip fractures in older adults are tied to loss of independence and serious complications. Vertebral compression fractures can cause significant back pain and change how someone moves for a long time. These are major medical events, and a lot of them start on a driveway or a parking lot in December.

How to prevent falls on ice

• Wear footwear with real traction, or use slip-on ice cleats for walking outside
• Take shorter steps and keep your feet under your hips
• Keep your hands out of your pockets so you can catch yourself
• Salt and clear walkways before you need them, not after someone falls
• Use handrails on steps, every time
• Keep strength and balance training going through the winter

If you have a parent or grandparent living alone, this is worth a phone call this week.

When should you see a doctor after a fall?

Get evaluated if you can’t bear weight, have new or worsening back pain after a fall (especially if you’re older or have osteoporosis), notice numbness or weakness, or have pain that isn’t improving over several days. If you hit your head while on a blood thinner, or have severe pain, a visible deformity, or new weakness, go to the emergency department.

Is shoveling snow bad for your back?

Honestly, shoveling is a great workout. Legs, core, back, cardio. I’m not going to tell you to stop doing it.

I do see shoveling injuries often, though, and they happen for predictable reasons. You’re working in cold air, often first thing in the morning before you’ve warmed up, lifting heavy wet snow with your arms extended and twisting to throw it. That’s a lot to ask of a cold spine.

How to shovel snow safely

• Warm up for a few minutes first, the same as you would before a workout
• Push the snow instead of lifting it whenever you can
• Take small loads
• Bend at the hips and knees, not just your back
• Turn your whole body instead of twisting to throw
• Take breaks and stay hydrated

Snow shoveling has also been linked in research to cardiac events, particularly in people with existing heart disease. If you have heart disease or cardiac risk factors, talk to your doctor before you grab the shovel. That’s not me being dramatic. That’s me being honest.

Does cold weather make arthritis and joint pain worse?

Yeah, maybe, maybe not.

Plenty of my arthritis patients swear their knees can predict the weather. The research on this is genuinely mixed. Some studies find a link between temperature or barometric pressure and joint pain, others don’t. What I can tell you is that the stiffness is real to the people feeling it, and I don’t think it’s my job to argue with them about it.

What helps:

• Move before you load. A few minutes of easy mobility before the driveway, the gym, or the golf simulator.
• Keep strength training going. People who stop moving when it gets cold usually feel worse, not better, by February.
• Dress in layers and keep the joints that bother you warm.
• Don’t push through a new injury. Winter is a bad time to “wait and see” on something that’s getting worse.

I’m cautious about leaning on chronic anti-inflammatories or repeated cortisone injections to get through the winter. They can have a role in specific situations, but they’re not where I start. I’ve written a whole series on alternatives to chronic NSAID use if you want to go deeper on that.

Why you shouldn’t wait until December to get care

This is the practical part.

By this point in the year, a lot of people have met their deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. That means getting care before the January reset may cost you less than waiting.

Here’s the catch: December is the hardest month to get in anywhere. Holidays shorten everyone’s schedule, and everyone who waited all year tries to squeeze in at once. Offices across Columbus are booking up now.

If something has been bothering you, a knee, a shoulder, your back, the thing you keep saying you’ll get looked at, now is the time. Not in three weeks. Now.

Can I use FSA or HSA funds?

FSA funds are often use-it-or-lose-it at the end of the year, though some plans offer a grace period or a small carryover. HSA funds can often be used for eligible medical care, including some cash-pay treatments. Check with your plan administrator on what applies to you.

Winter injury care in Columbus and Central Ohio

If you’re in Columbus, Dublin, Westerville, Upper Arlington, Gahanna, or anywhere in Central Ohio and you’re dealing with a winter injury or a nagging problem you’ve been putting off, that’s exactly what this practice is built for. I look at your imaging myself. We talk through what’s actually going on and what your options are, including non-surgical and regenerative approaches when they make sense. And I’ll tell you honestly if something isn’t a good fit.

The injection is one piece. The protocol is the point.

If you want to go deeper on this, the specific protocols I use, how I think about getting patients back to activity, and what I tell every patient after a procedure, I cover all of that in my paid newsletter, Essentials of Healing. You can find it at nikhilvermamd.substack.com.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between stretching and mobility? Stretching passively lengthens a muscle. Mobility is your ability to actively move and control a joint through its full range. You need both, and five to ten minutes a day covering each is one of the best things you can do for your body in the winter.

How do I prevent falling on ice? Wear footwear with real traction or ice cleats, take shorter steps, keep your hands free, and salt walkways ahead of time. If you’re older or have low bone density, take this seriously, because a fall can mean a hip or spinal compression fracture.

What are signs of a compression fracture after a fall? New, sudden back pain after a fall, especially in someone older or with osteoporosis, is the most common sign. Pain that worsens with standing or walking and eases lying down is also typical. If that sounds like you, get evaluated rather than waiting it out.

What’s the safest way to shovel snow? Warm up first, push the snow instead of lifting when you can, use small loads, bend at your hips and knees, and take breaks. If you have heart disease or cardiac risk factors, check with your doctor before shoveling.

Does cold weather really make joint pain worse? The research is mixed. Many people with arthritis report more stiffness and pain in the cold, and that experience is real. Staying active, warming up before activity, and keeping up strength training through the winter tend to help.

Should I get care before my deductible resets? If you’ve met your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum, care before the reset may cost you less. Just don’t wait until December, when holiday schedules make it hard to get in anywhere.

Do you treat winter injuries without surgery? Yes. Most musculoskeletal injuries I see are treated non-surgically, with a plan built around activity, strength, mobility, and, when appropriate, image-guided procedures including regenerative options. If you need a surgical opinion, I’ll tell you that too.

Ready to get it looked at before the holidays? Request an appointment or call 614-626-8707.

This is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.